Void Shiki didn't deny it, nodding readily. "You're right. The blocking of the future is tied to me."
Morpheus clicked his tongue.
Void Shiki continued, "You think this has nothing to do with you just because it's tied to me?"
Morpheus raised an eyebrow. "What's this got to do with me?"
She smiled playfully. "Who do you think stopped the Umbrella crisis?"
"..."
Well, damn. She had him there.
The Resident Evil incident was indeed entirely his doing, from start to finish.
"So, I'm already on this mastermind's blacklist," Morpheus said with a wry chuckle.
Void Shiki nodded. "Exactly. That's why I came to you."
She had sent Saeko Busujima those future memories, hoping Saeko could alter that timeline.
She'd thought it would be a long journey.
She'd planned to act behind the scenes, helping humanity rewrite the Umbrella crisis and foil the mastermind's plans.
But then Morpheus showed up out of nowhere.
Void Shiki had no idea who he was, yet she watched him dismantle the Umbrella Corporation—and even the devil Rizevim behind it—like he was chopping vegetables.
The whole thing was clean and ruthless.
It left her stunned.
Who was this guy? This was beyond reason.
It was precisely because of Morpheus's actions that Void Shiki sought him out.
"Your actions showed me you're not aligned with the force trying to destroy the world."
"You're on my side."
Morpheus let out an "oh," not denying her words. She wasn't wrong.
The mysterious enemy wanted to destroy the world, while he wanted to protect it.
They were naturally at odds.
So, he and Void Shiki were natural allies.
"What should we do now?"
"First, stop the future where a hundred spirits roam in daylight, just like you stopped the Umbrella crisis," She replied without hesitation, offering a clear suggestion.
The problem was, Morpheus knew next to nothing about this "hundred spirits" future. He was completely in the dark.
How was he supposed to stop it?
He turned to Void Shiki for guidance. She said, "Since you stopped the Umbrella crisis, the future has shifted."
"What I knew of the future no longer aligns, but I'm certain of one thing."
"This 'hundred spirits roaming in daylight' seems tied to the Dark Tournament."
"I'd like you to infiltrate it and investigate."
The Dark Tournament?
How was that connected to this future?
Though puzzled, Morpheus said, "What a coincidence. I've already signed up for this Dark Tournament. If there's something wrong with it, I'll stop it."
Void Shiki was surprised. Morpheus was already registered for the Dark Tournament?
Could he really be the chosen savior, destined to help her save the world?
"Excellent, I'll await your good news."
"No problem."
Morpheus agreed readily.
After a bit more conversation, a spark of curiosity flared in Morpheus. Unable to resist, he asked, "So, how's things with you and Mikiya Kokutou?"
If he recalled correctly, in the original Nasuverse timeline, Shiki Ryougi and Mikiya Kokutou's story took place around 1998.
But in this crossover world, smartphones existed.
By now, Shiki and Mikiya should have kids.
Yet Void Shiki before him didn't look like a mother.
Her face even seemed youthful, more like a high schooler than a married woman.
At his question, a sly smile crossed Void Shiki's face.
"You care about that?"
Morpheus shook his head. "Not really. Just curious."
She replied, "If it weren't for all this chaos, Shiki Ryougi would be with Mikiya Kokutou by now. But because of these events, I had to sever ties with him."
"So, I'm still single."
Morpheus let out an "oh." "That's tough. Delaying your love life for something like this."
Void Shiki shook her head, smiling. "It's Shiki Ryougi who's delayed, not me, Void Shiki."
Well, damn. That sounded like a nod to a certain literary figure.
Morpheus didn't know how to respond.
Soon after, he and Void Shiki parted ways, and he returned to Tokyo.
With over twenty days until the Dark Tournament, Morpheus began discreetly gathering information about it. He also asked Kotoko Iwanaga if anyone knew who was behind the event.
He didn't ask her directly about the organizers, as she'd already said she didn't know.
She suspected it might be a powerful yokai.
But in this crossover world, powerful yokai weren't exactly rare.
Kotoko was curious. "Why are you looking into this, my lord?"
"Because the Dark Tournament is tied to a very bad future. I want to know who's running it."
A bad future?
Kotoko's curiosity deepened, but she shook her head. "The organizers are well-hidden. I don't know who they are, but I can look into it."
"Do it, but don't tip them off," Morpheus cautioned.
"Don't worry, I've got it."
"By the way, how's the search for Geto Suguru? Found his hiding spot yet?"
Kotoko replied, "I've had nano-surveillance bugs attach to certain people and infiltrate some barriers, but no sign of Geto Suguru."
"There are three places left unchecked."
Morpheus asked, "Which three?"
"The Onmyo Bureau, Tokyo Jujutsu High, and the Cursed Wasteland."
At the mention of the Cursed Wasteland, it hit Morpheus.
Of course—how had he overlooked it? That was the perfect hiding place for someone like Geto Suguru.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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